Philip. 2:12-16

1. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence,
2. work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;  for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
3. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,  
4. holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

As I was running recently I was questioning if all the efforts to get up and out early to get a run in was really making a difference.  Then I heard the above scripture as I was listening to Philippians on my iphone.  My thoughts immediately went from physical to spiritual and from efforts for my physical health to my efforts for my children’s spiritual health through the years.

Paul’s source of joy and desire for his beloved Philippians should be every mother’s joy and desire for her children:

1. That they would obey not only in her presence but much more in her absence
2. That they would take charge of their own spiritual lives, allowing God to work in them His good pleasure
3. That they would shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation
4. That they would hold fast the Word of Life until the day of Christ so that she can rejoice that she has not run in vain or labored in vain.

This reminded of the time my sister and I decided to surprise Mom and Dad with new living room furniture as theirs was completely ruined from the pets they so lovingly allowed me to have all through my childhood . When Dad sat down on the new furniture he said with tears in his eyes, ‘We must have done something right to have children to treat us so kindly.’  I was thankful that we gave my Dad and Mom cause to feel they had not run or labored in vain.

Now on this Mother’s Day I want to say to my four beloved children, “Thank you for holding forth the Word of Life and giving your Dad and me reason to rejoice that we have not run in vain. We see yall taking charge of your own spiritual lives and shining as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.  Yall have made me a happy mother!!!!”

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
3 John 1:4

. . . And look at all those children! There they sit around your table as vigorous and healthy as young olive trees.
Psalm 128:3

I love it when research actually validates what God has said! This verse indicates that children are healthy when they sit around your table and now a recent research reveals that children and adolescents who share family meals 3 or more times per week are more likely to be in a normal weight range and have healthier dietary and eating patterns than those who share fewer than 3 family meals together.  And this article points out the multiple advantages to family meals together.

Simplify your life – cut out an extracurricular activity if you have to – but make meals together a family tradition that your children will remember long after they have left home.  Meal time is important, not just for the physical nourishment your children need, but also for the mental, emotional, and spiritual nurturing they need.  

Here are some suggestions to help you meet those needs around your table:

Conversation starters during the meal:

• What did you enjoy doing today?
• What did you enjoy learning?
• Who did you enjoy being with today?
• Did you do something kind today?
• What was your high today?
• What was your low?

After the meal:

Do a short devotional, read a Bible story,  or spend time memorizing a verse together.
Our family’s favorite thing was Playdough Devotionals.  Each person would make something out of their playdough and the rest of the family would guess what part of the story they were illustrating.

Have prayer time, but before you do, ask:

• What happened today you are thankful for?
• Who did you talk to, or see, or hear about that we should pray for?
• What happened or is going to happen that we need to pray about for you?

Try to relax and enjoy time together eating a nourishing meal, talking with your children, and growing closer to God as a family.  Then you can truly say, ‘Look at my healthy children around the table.’

(Oh –  and don’t forget to talk about 1 Cor. 3:9 ‘We work together as partners who belong to God’ as everyone helps to clean up the kitchen when it’s all over so Mom can enjoy the time without thinking about what needs to be done afterwards.)

Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young–
a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God,
Psalm 84:3

Interesting that in this verse God uses sparrows and swallows which are considered the most restless of birds.  He referred to them as ‘fluttering’ and ‘darting’ in Proverbs 26:2.

Yet these most restless birds find a place of rest for themselves and their young near the altar of God. We should follow their example with our young, giving them to God.  We need to stay close to Him, allowing God to work through us to train them in the way they should go; so they will be like these birds that were free to go anywhere, but chose to stay near the altar.

David must have been watching the birds in the sanctuary of God and it stirred up in him the desire to dwell that near to God and find rest for himself and his children.  Jesus must have been watching the birds when He used them as teaching aides in Matthew 6:26 and Matthew 23:37

God obviously values birds as there are numerous references to them in Scripture:

He implies that the birds have a better perspective, are more observant, and are wiser than most things: Job 28:21, Proverbs 1:17, Job 35:11

God acknowledged that birds are great parents as He mentions wanting to gather us under His wings as a hen gathers her chicks: Matthew 23:37

He even tells us to consider the birds and to ask the birds to teach us: Matthew 6:26, Job 12:7

My nephew and his wife work to rescue birds with The International Bird Rescue Center in San Pedro, CA.  So I asked them for some info on birds.  They pointed me to a documentary called “Life of Birds”  Watch and study more about these creatures that God values.  You might learn something about parenting.

But the most important thing we can learn from the birds is that as we seek to parent in the midst of the storms of our busy lives, we should stop the ‘fluttering’ and ‘darting’ and lay our children at the altar of God – keeping ourselves and them near to Him,  and finding peace and protection there. ‘The sparrows and swallows could not have chosen a better place to find rest, or a safer place to have their young and raise their family. The dwelling place of God should be a place of safety where we can raise our children.’ ( Matthew McDonald )

Now for something fun.  One thing I learned in this study is that parents may feed the newborns every 10 minutes – whew – we think every 2 to 3 hours is tough! Here’s a video of footage my son Jeremiah captured a few years ago observing a robin feeding her young. Watch till the end and see what devoted parents they are.

http://youtu.be/uS6cA0lxBw4

Here are some ideas to help you teach your children about showing love during this week of celebrating Valentine’s Day.

Creatively work together to display each day’s verse on the fridge. (cut, color, or paint a heart and put the verse on it)

Repeat the verse often during the day as you reinforce it as you go – here a little, there a little. (Deuteronomy 6:7), (Isaiah 28:10)

Read the Bible stories yourself and then tell them in your own words. Be animated and use visuals when possible.

Have fun establishing God’s Word in your children this week!!!!

Day One

Bible Verse: Proverbs 17:17 – A friend loves at all times.

Story: David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18 1-4)

Activity for Baby to 3: Have a friend over to play with child. Tell story of David and Jonathan. Share toys. For infant, spend time talking about and thanking God for all the baby’s friends, after reading story.

Older Activity: Have child help make cookies and then invite a friend over to share them with. Talk about ways to show love to our friends.

Day Two

Bible Verse: 1 John 4:7 – Love one another.

Story: Elisha’s Friends (2 Kings 4:8-11)

Activity for Baby to 3: Tell the story of Elisha and talk about how you prepared a room for baby to show your love for him. Point out things in baby’s room.

Older Activity: Read story. Draw a picture of the story.

Day Three

Bible Verse: Galatians 5:13 – Help one another
Story: Four Friends (Mark 2:1-12)

Activity for Baby to 3: Make Valentines for friends and pray for for their friends as you do.

Older Activity: Same as for Baby to 3

Day Four

Bible Verse: 2 Corinthians 1:24 – We are helpers.

Story: We Work Together – (Nehemiah 1:1-11, 2:1-20, 3:1-32, 6:15-16)

Activity for Baby to 3: Help fold laundry or pick up toys.

Older Activity: Play blocks together and pretend to build the wall as you tell the story. Dads, let child hammer some nails in some scrap wood while you supervise.

Day Five

Bible Verse: Ephesians 4:32 – Be kind to one another.

Story: Philip’s New Friend – (Acts 8:1-39)

Activity for Baby to 3: Do something special for baby or child like making him cookies or getting him a new inexpensive toy. Give him a hug and lead child to give someone a hug. Talk about ways he can show kindness.

Older Activity: Read story. Say Philip showed kindness by reading the Bible to his friend and telling him about God. Let’s be kind to our friends and tell them about God. Lead child to send a Bible verse or Bible story to one of his friends.

1. Makes kids wise for salvation (2 Timothy 3:15)
2. Thoroughly equips them to do good works (2 Timothy 3:17)
3. Prepares them to respond to those who ask about their hope (1 Peter 3:15)
4. Readies them to withstand the culture’s onslaught that attempts to indoctrinate and deceive them (Ephesians 6:10-18)

After the Lord freed the Hebrews from slavery, Moses knew that God’s people needed a dramatic paradigm shift regarding parenting. He implores parents to do whatever it takes to train their kids about walking in God’s ways: ‘Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and your gates’ (Deuteronomy 6:7-9).

• His people would live safely in the land (Leviticus 25:18)
• All would go well with them (Deuteronomy 12:28)
• God would bless them in the land (Deuteronomy 30:16)

I had the privilege of speaking to moms in several villages in Uganda last week. Uganda has the 2nd highest fertility rate in the world – 6.65 children born/woman.  What do you say to them about training their children spiritually when the physical needs of clothing, shelter, and food are so overwhelming?   Elaine Moody spoke before me and told the ladies about how everyone of us must relate to God with our spirits (John 4:24)
This led right into my speaking to them about training their children’s spirits to be sensitive to God.

I shared with them about Samson’s parents who asked how to order their son and the only instruction given was what the mother was to eat during pregnancy.  This led us to examine the fact that there are 9 fruit of the spirit and 9 months of pregnancy.  Meditating on one fruit of the spirit each month and praying that fruit for your unborn child can help his spirit grow as his little body grows. (see previous blog post on this subject)

I told them that Deuteronomy 6 instructs us to teach our children as we lie down, as we rise up, and as we go.  I showed them pictures of things they might see, hear, taste, touch, and smell.  I sang songs they could sing with their children to remind the children that God has given them the senses to enjoy His beautiful world.  I told them to involve all their senses in helping their children learn about God.

I don’t know how much the moms took away from the time we had together.  I can only pray they caught the passion to train their children’s spirits to relate to Christ . . . for He is our only hope whether we live in a well-built home in America or a mud-brick home in Uganda.

Rizpah means ‘a glowing ember’. Tenacious means ‘persistent in adhering to, or seeking something desired; not easily pulled apart from.’   She was a mother that was glowing with a passionate desire from which she could not be pulled away.

2 Samuel 21:9-10

And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the Lord: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.

And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

We can learn much about parenting from this obscure, but very powerful story in the Old Testament!!! We need to stand guard over our children’s souls with the same sacrifice and tenacity that Rizpah guarded her children’s bodies!!

Please listen to her amazing story Who’s Kidding Who (part 4) by Dr. Billy Daws

We need to be a Rizpah!!!!

Wow, Father, how can we ever thank you enough for calling us to the greatest profession in the world!! Forgive us when we get busy and distracted from this most awesome privilege of molding a little life for you.

Help us when we get weary from the unending tasks, to rest in the promise that in persevering we will see results from all our efforts:
Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Help us not to compare ourselves with other moms, but to enjoy being the mom You made us to be:
Galatians 6:4 Be sure to do what you should, for then you will enjoy the personal satisfaction of having done your work well, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.

Father, like you, we have no greater joy than to hear that our children walk in truth:
3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
As we think of leading them into Truth, help us:
First of all to love You with all our heart:
Deut. 6:5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.
Second, help us to surround our husbands with our love:
Proverbs 5:18 & 19 So be happy with your wife and find your joy with the girl you married – pretty and graceful as a deer.  Let her charms keep you happy; let her surround you with her love. (Today’s English Version)
Thirdly, help us to be diligent to train our children in the Way they should go and consistently discipline them to be like Christ:
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go ,And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 29:15 To discipline and reprimand a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.
Galatians 4:19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,
And keep us aware that even as grandmothers, our jobs continue:
Deut. 4:9 Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren,
Psalm 71:18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation,Your power to everyone who is to come.

Help us to radiate with a meek and quiet spirit and with joy from having spent time with you:
1 Peter 3:4 You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
Psalm 34:5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
And then as we radiate, help us to equip our children to shine as lights in the midst of a wicked world:
Philip. 2:15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

Thank you, Father, that all these things you have called us to do, You have promised to do through us:
1 Thes. 5:24 God, who calls you, is faithful; he will do this.

Thank you that when we are distraught by all our cares and anxieties, you will console us:
Psalm 94:19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.
1 Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Thank you, Father, that as we fulfill this sometimes overwhelming responsibility and privilege of motherhood that you are with us, always perfecting that which concerns us, and ever gently leading us along the way!
Isaiah 40:11 And gently lead those who are with young.
Psalm 138:8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Matthew 28:20  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

And ultimately, thank you for sacrificing your Son in the place of our sons and daughters so we all can come boldly to your throne to ask these things in Jesus name!!!

Amen

1 Samuel 3:13
I have warned him continually that judgment is coming for his family,
because his sons are blaspheming God
and he hasn’t disciplined them.

Galatians 4:19
My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

Two year old defiance looks a lot different than 15 year old defiance.  Two year old defiance is a lot easier to deal with than 15 year old defiance. Disciplining our children takes discipline in our own lives and it is like being in constant labor!  But if we don’t do it, there are consequences!!!

Hear more from Dr. Billy Daws on this subject here.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Luke 2:52

Are you helping your children develop in the four areas Jesus grew in: wisdom, stature, spirit, and social relationships?  You wouldn’t think of sending your family on a road trip in a car with only one cylinder operating.  Let’s not send our children into the world with only one of these areas developed.  Hear some pointers on how to make sure they are operating on ‘four cylinders’ in this sermon by Dr. Billy Daws, Who’s Kidding Who (Week 2)